Adrian POV
The villa was quiet, but the silence felt heavier than the chaos yesterday. The rooms smelled faintly of smoke and roses, and the broken windows let the wind swirl around, carrying memories of gunfire and blood. I sat beside Isabella in the study, her small hands trembling as she held a cup of tea.
I placed my hand over hers. "You don't have to hide your fear, Isabella. I know you're scared."
She looked up at me with wide eyes. "I… I am. But I trust you."
Her words made my chest tighten. Trust. She had it for me, and I would protect her no matter what. I could feel the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders again. I would be her shield. I would be the man my father was—but better. Kinder. Stronger in ways he never understood.
"You don't have to face this alone," I said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I will protect us. Always."
Her lips curved into a small, almost hesitant smile. I didn't notice the flicker in her eyes—an emotion I couldn't read, a secret she held tight.
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Isabella POV
I let him believe he was protecting me. I let his hand cover mine, felt the strength in his presence, and allowed myself to appear fragile. Afraid. Vulnerable.
He had no idea I was hiding the truth. I had reasons, motives, plans that he could never guess. And he believed me completely. That was the power I had now—the power of trust.
"I… I don't know what I would do without you," I whispered.
He squeezed my hand. "You'll never have to find out. I'll be here."
I hid the small pang of guilt that struck me. Not for me, but for what I had done before, and what I might still have to do. He didn't need to know that yet.
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Adrian POV
Luca had warned me not to trust anyone, but right now, my eyes never left her. She seemed fragile, broken by what happened, but something in me screamed that she was stronger than she appeared. That flicker of strength made me protective. Made me desperate to shield her from the world—and maybe from herself.
I pulled something from my pocket—a small, delicate necklace that had belonged to my mother. I held it out to her. "This is yours now. Keep it close. Always."
She took it, her fingers brushing mine. I could see the faintest hesitation, but I ignored it. My heart ached to see her holding something of mine. A symbol. A bond.
"I… thank you," she said softly. Her voice trembled, and I believed every word.
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Isabella POV
I held the necklace, feeling its weight, feeling the meaning behind it. He didn't know I understood the symbolism, didn't know how I could use it. This gift made him trust me even more, rely on me more.
I smiled faintly, letting my gratitude show. "I will keep it always."
He believed me. And that belief would make it easier to manipulate him, guide him, and keep him close.
---
Adrian POV
Later that evening, I walked through the halls of the villa, noticing the small signs of life returning—guards repositioning, staff cautiously moving through the broken rooms. But I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. That someone was always observing.
And I was right.
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Marco POV (from shadows, observing Isabella)
"Good," he whispered to himself, eyes glinting in the dim light. "Let him love her. Let him believe in her loyalty. Love makes killing easier."
A smile curved his lips. The boy was already entangled in the web. Soon, the pieces would move exactly where I wanted them.
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Isabella POV
A flashback hit me suddenly, unbidden.
I was a child again, running through the halls of my family home. My parents screamed as masked men stormed in. I remembered the flames, the smoke, the sharp crack of gunfire. My mother's hands reached for me, trying to pull me close, but it was too late.
I had thought Vittorio Moretti killed them. That he was the monster responsible for their deaths. And maybe he was. Or maybe… maybe it was someone else.
I shivered, pulling myself back into the present. The memory was sharp, vivid. Painful. And it fueled the choices I had made since. Choices I had to keep hidden.
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Adrian POV
I watched her closely. She seemed lost in thought, distant. My heart tightened. I reached for her hand, brushing away a strand of hair from her face again.
"You're thinking about them," I said softly, "about your parents."
She flinched slightly but nodded. "Yes… it's hard."
"I will protect you from that pain," I said firmly. "From anyone who tries to hurt you again."
Her eyes met mine, and I saw something there… a flicker of something I couldn't name. Guilt? Sadness? Or something else entirely? I pushed it aside. She was mine, and I would guard her with my life.
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Isabella POV
He didn't see it. He never would. The flicker in my eyes wasn't weakness. It was control, strategy. The pain of the past had shaped me, and now I was shaping him.
I pressed a hand over the necklace he gave me, feeling the weight, feeling the bond it represented. It made him trust me. Made him rely on me. And that trust… that trust could be powerful.
---
Adrian POV
I leaned closer, lowering my voice. "We'll get through this together. I won't let anything happen to you."
She nodded, lips curved in a small, fragile smile. I believed her. I wanted to believe her.
But somewhere in the shadows, Marco watched. And I didn't know that the web was already closing.
From the darkness of the hall, Marco whispered again, unseen, unheard by anyone except himself:
"Good. Let him love her. Love makes killing easier."
And in that moment, I knew nothing would ever be simple again. Trust, loyalty, love—they were all weapons now. And someone would die.